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SUMMARY:The Fairy-tales of Science: facts and fancy in Victorian children'
 s literature - Melenie Keene\, Fellow Homerton College
DTSTART:20110216T170000Z
DTEND:20110216T190000Z
UID:TALK28189@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ewa Illakowicz
DESCRIPTION:In Victorian Britain forces could be fairies\, dinosaurs could
  be dragons\, and looking closely at a drop of water revealed a wonderland
 . An array of writers enticed their young readers and listeners to learn a
 bout the sciences by converting introductory explanations into quirky\, ch
 arming\, and imaginative fairy-tales. New discoveries and inventions\, nov
 el and ancient facts about the earth and the universe\, were woven into fa
 nciful narratives starring monstrous creatures\, magical transformations\,
  and fairy guides. In this seminar I shall argue that such stories were an
  important way in which authors and audiences enthused about\, communicate
 d\, and criticised the sciences in the nineteenth century. I shall explore
  how new fairy-tales were presented and read as the best way to understand
  both contemporary science and the invisible recesses of nature\, since th
 ey revealed the hidden wonders and true mysteries of everyday life. Scienc
 e\, they claimed\, was superior story-telling.\n\nMelanie Keene is a Junio
 r Research Fellow at Homerton College\, Cambridge\,\nwhere she researches 
 the history of science for children in the long nineteenth century. She co
 mpleted her PhD\, 'Object Lessons: Sensory Science Education\, 1830-1870'\
 , in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science\, University of C
 ambridge. Topics of ongoing interest include the histories of everyday art
 efacts and activities\, genre and analogy\, board games and fairy-tales\, 
 puns and toys\, and collecting science songs.\n
LOCATION:Faculty of Education\, 184 Hills Road\, Cambridge CB2 8PQ\, room 
 GS5
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